I love their sunflower seed butter! It's like crack to me. I also get their vegetarian chorizo, arugula, avocados and almond meal. Their plain (full fat) greek yogurt is lower carb than most and really thick and creamy.

For me, some of the best deals at Trader Joe's are in the cheese area. I can find equal quality cheeses at Whole Foods, but the price is about double there. I love Trader Joe's honey goat cheese, New Zealand White Cheddar the best so far.

Trader Joes nuts and almond meal also tend to be lower in price than elsewhere. Again those products aren't new or revolutionary, but the price is better, so I can afford to have a more gourmet item than otherwise.

I believe their organic or grassfed type meats are less expensive.

Unfortunately, a lot of what Trader Joe's is famous for is not low carb - their speculous cookie butter, JoJos (like oreos), all sorts of chocolates and cookies, frozen mandarin orange chicken, various cool prepared dinner foods and appetizers, etc.
Since LowCarbers tend to stick with basics, like meats, produce, etc, you probably wont be overwhelmed with how great things are, but may find some better prices.

I like their frozen and refrigerated Indian meals - esp the paneer masala or butter chicken. I just dont eat the rice. But I cant give you an accurate carb count on those minus rice.
I want to try their frozen Hake in Pappilotte (white fish in parchemnt paper with some veggies) and frozen Cioppino (both happen to be low in carbs). Alot of their frozen seafood offerings are naturally low in carbs.

Basically just look around and enjoy and read your labels to see what works for your plan!

Thanks, everyone! Austin is the hometown of Whole Foods so I'm interested to see how well the community embraces direct competition to the "local" store. I, for one, am not a fan of Whole Paycheck, um, er, Whole Foods.

Thanks, everyone! Austin is the hometown of Whole Foods so I'm interested to see how well the community embraces direct competition to the "local" store. I, for one, am not a fan of Whole Paycheck, um, er, Whole Foods.

I want to try their frozen Hake in Pappilotte (white fish in parchemnt paper with some veggies) and frozen Cioppino (both happen to be low in carbs). Alot of their frozen seafood offerings are naturally low in carbs.

Basically just look around and enjoy and read your labels to see what works for your plan!

Their Cioppino is wonderful! I was there one day when they were sampling it.. mmm... yumm..

I love the marinated mozzarella balls. The almond meal and coconut oil are unbeatably low priced. Three cheese marinara pretty lc. Marinated artichokes are good as well as the almond butter. The produce is great and mostly well priced for the quality and the bagged salad seems to last along time.

I used to drive quite a distance to Trader Joe's in order to stock up on their mayonnaise. At that time, I was eating a Lot of chicken salad & tuna salad, made with mayo, so it was worth the drive.

Because, TJ's was the only mayonnaise anywhere without some sort of sweetener in the ingredients.

And check the labels on their other products. There are plenty of products that do Not need sweeteners, but almost every other brand adds them anyway, buried deep in the ingredients list. (And here's my biggest beef with Whole Foods: they have the UN-needed sweeteners in the food too, only with healthier-sounding names, like "crystallized cane juice" instead of sugar. Or Agave syrup, or etc. But why not just leave it Out of the foods that don't need it??)

Check the labels and a lot of times you'll find that, unlike most brands, if a product does not need a sweetener, TJ's often does Not add it.

For one example, they have a marinara sauce with No sweetener. And various other condiments.

Also they have some seasoning blends that actually List ALL the ingredients (unlike supermarket brands that say, "and other flavorings"), and they really are ALL just herbs & spices. (My favorite is their "21 Seasoning Salute.)

The other thing I like to get from TJ's is their oatmeal & honey bar soap. Excellent for sensitive skin, better than most of the expensive soaps elsewhere, and a 2-bar package is still Under $2.

I'm lucky enough to live six blocks from Trader Joe's, so I go at least once a week! As so many have already mentioned, the coconut oil is a great deal. My other staples are vanilla unsweetened almond milk, mini goat cheese rounds, pork carnitas from the refrigerated section, cage-free eggs, tuna and sardines packed in olive oil, and Applegate Farms uncured nitrate-free beef hot dogs. I also pick a new cheese to try every week.

They have wonderful sf, nitrate free smoked bacon...it's actually ends and pieces, but mine has always had nice pieces mostly...it cooks nicely an d the flavor is wonderful...I also get almonds and almond meal as I think the price cannot be beat. Like someone else mentioned, they have a low carb, sugar free chocolate bar...with or without almonds...it is a great choc emergency fix...

I'm lucky enough to live six blocks from Trader Joe's, so I go at least once a week! As so many have already mentioned, the coconut oil is a great deal. My other staples are vanilla unsweetened almond milk, mini goat cheese rounds, pork carnitas from the refrigerated section, cage-free eggs, tuna and sardines packed in olive oil, and Applegate Farms uncured nitrate-free beef hot dogs. I also pick a new cheese to try every week.

Thanks for the info about Trader Joes expellier pressed canola oil mayo! My understanding is that is one of the "Good" oils (lots of omega 3s, as long as its expellier pressed, not commerically refined). I've been dreaming of an acutal mayo that is ok to eat!

Thanks for the info about Trader Joes expellier pressed canola oil mayo! My understanding is that is one of the "Good" oils (lots of omega 3s, as long as its expellier pressed, not commerically refined). I've been dreaming of an acutal mayo that is ok to eat!

I don't think this is right. I think it's supposed to be very high in PUFA's. somebody correct me if I'm wrong. I have an unopened jar in my cabinet that I bought before I paid so much attention to fats. I have been using a non-extra virgin OO from TJ's to make my own mayo instead.

I love TJ's and the prices can't be beat around here. The cheeses are great. Lately I've been loving the mascarpone. Great fresh salsa, kerrygold, huge selection of nuts and seeds, kerrygold butter, avocado's number quac, pesto. They also have a lot of stuff I wouldn't eat but I feel good about feeding to my kids.

ETA: okay, I'm wrong about the PUFA's, but there was some reason that I decided not to eat canola. Am I just being nutty? lol

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jayne, type I diabetic and mama to two sweet boys (9/03 and 2/09)

I don't think this is right. I think it's supposed to be very high in PUFA's. somebody correct me if I'm wrong. I have an unopened jar in my cabinet that I bought before I paid so much attention to fats. I have been using a non-extra virgin OO from TJ's to make my own mayo instead.

ETA: okay, I'm wrong about the PUFA's, but there was some reason that I decided not to eat canola. Am I just being nutty? lol

I don't eat canola oil. The plant is not a naturally oily food that can yield oil by cold pressing (like olives or avocados yield oil through cold pressing). It has to be heated to high temperatures to expel the oil, which can lead to rancidity and free radicals. I trust Sally Fallon and Mary Enig on oils, and canola oil is not on their healthy oil list. I threw out my opened bottle of canola oil and gave away my unopened bottle of canola oil by leaving it out with a "free" sign at work.